According to the company's executive vice president and co-operating officer, Chiang Shan-yi, Fab 14 is TSMC's first factory to mass-produce 16-nanometer FinFET transistors and the world's first factory to begin volume production of 20nm system-on-chips.

He said over the next five years TSMC will invest over NT$500 billion (US$17 billion at US$1: NT$29) in Fab 14, which is estimated to create around 7,000 jobs. So far, the company has over 9,000 employees at the southern Taiwan production site, which generated revenue of NT$180 billion (US$6.2 billion) last year to constitute 42% of the company's 2011 total revenue.

TSMC's chief technology officer, Y.C. Sun, said at a technology workshop held by ARM that the company will begin pilot production of 16nm FinFET chips at the end of 2013 and volume production in 2014.

Phase-7 construction of this fab is estimated to start in the first quarter of 2013.

When TSMC is accelerating its move to expand production at Fab 14, United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), which is the world's No.2 pure silicon foundry after only TSMC, is also speeding up investments in its Fab 12A at the southern Taiwan park. The company's executives pointed out that Fab 12A will be the company's pivotal factory for production using advanced processes, including 20nm and 28nm.
(by Ken Liu)